Junkers Ju 87B-2      1/24

The Junkers Ju-87 Stuka (short for the German Sturzkampfflugzeug, meaning dive bomber) is a German single-engine dive bomber with a classic tail, inverted gull-wings, and an all-metal construction. The Ju-87 is one of the Luftwaffe's most famous aircraft and a symbol of its power, like the Me-109. At the beginning of the war (1939-1941), it became a symbol of the Blitzkrieg, often causing panic among enemy soldiers through the installation of acoustic sirens (called jerychońskie trunks), which produced a distinctive sound during dives. The aircraft's designer was Hermann Pohlmann, and the Ju-87 first flew in 1935 and entered production two years later. During the Spanish Civil War, without encountering any serious enemies in the air, it was effective in the missions for which it was designed. Thanks to its ability to dive very steeply while maintaining a relatively low speed, it achieved a very high bombing efficiency. The Stuka's fame was confirmed during operations in Poland, the Netherlands, France, Greece, and Crete. During the Battle of Britain, however, the slow-moving Stukas with fixed landing gear were simply outclassed by RAF aircraft and were therefore relegated to attacks on less defended targets. On the Eastern Front, the Ju-87 served primarily as a close-support aircraft and an excellent tank destroyer. Hans Ulrich Rudel, the most decorated Luftwaffe pilot, was credited with destroying 519 Soviet tanks. During the war, production of the Ju-87 was halted several times, but it was always necessary to restart it because no other aircraft could adequately replace it. A dozen different versions of the Ju-87 were built during the war. The first series-produced aircraft was the Ju-87 B (Berta). It was powered by two versions of the Jumo 211 engine with a top speed of 1,000 hp or 1,200 hp. It served as a land-based dive bomber. The Ju-87R (Richard) was used for attacks on naval targets. It had a longer range than the B version but was slightly slower. The D version (Dora) was the most widely produced and modified version. It was equipped with newer versions of the Jumo 211 engine with 1,420 and 1,500 hp. The Ju-87D had better armor protection than its predecessors. The last large-scale version of the Ju-87 was the Model G (Gustav), an attack and destroyer, which entered service in early 1943. The main armament of this version consisted of two 37 mm Bordkanone BK 3.7 cannons mounted in the underwings. The Ju-87G also had improved armor protection. Approximately five, 900 of all versions of the Ju-87 were produced during the war. Technical specifications (Ju-87B version): length: 11 m, wingspan: 13.8 m, height: 4.23 m, maximum speed: 390 km/h, maximum range: 500 km, maximum service ceiling: 8,200 m, armament: fixed - three 7.92 mm caliber machine guns, suspended - up to 450 kg of bombs.